Summary of Key Points
Recently, two food safety incidents that have caused concern among the general public have been exposed: one involves cabbage in Zhangjiakou, Hebei, which was sprayed with formaldehyde by middlemen to preserve it (formaldehyde is a carcinogen and should not be present in food), and the other involves Xiamen Lulin Sen Disinfection Company, which used the highly toxic pesticide dichlorvos to clean a popular online restaurant (dichlorvos is highly toxic and carcinogenic and is explicitly prohibited for use in food service environments). The essence of both incidents is that businesses are willing to sacrifice consumers' health for profit (formaldehyde is cheaper than using cold chain transportation, and dichlorvos is cheaper than using compliant disinfectants). Although measures were taken afterwards, these incidents highlight the difficulties in supervision and the numerous loopholes in testing systems. In the end, it is the lower-tier farmers, restaurants, and unsuspecting consumers who bear the consequences, leaving them in a helpless situation where they do not know what is safe to eat.
The Essence of the Two Incidents: "Heartless Business" That Sacrifices Health for Profit
The logic behind these incidents is almost identical—saving money is more important than human life.
- Formaldehyde-treated Cabbage: In summer, cabbage stored in transport vehicles is prone to rotting. Using cold chain trucks or ice to keep it cool is costly, so middlemen spray formaldehyde (at a cost of just a few cents) to extend the shelf life of the cabbage. They don't care about the carcinogenic effects of formaldehyde; they only care that the cabbage doesn't spoil and can be sold.
- Dichlorvos Disinfection: A regular disinfectant like "Canshawei" costs 25 yuan per bottle, while dichlorvos costs just a few yuan, representing a three-fold difference in cost. Disinfection companies use the cheaper alternative, and even their employees admit they wouldn't eat at a restaurant that has been disinfected with dichlorvos, yet customers are exposed to the toxin the very next day.
In essence, these businesses treat other people's health as a stepping stone to their own profits, which is no different from committing poisoning.
Why Can't Supervision Curb These Issues? Three Major Loopholes Allow Bad Actors to Get Away
This is not the first time such incidents have occurred. Why do they keep happening? The reasons are:
- Difficulties in Catching Them in the Act: It's impossible to monitor middlemen spraying formaldehyde 24/7, nor can we always oversee disinfection companies. For example, formaldehyde spraying during cabbage transportation is only investigated after the incident is reported; disinfection operations are done at night, and customers arrive during the day, making it invisible.
- Testing Gaps: Formaldehyde is not part of the regular pesticide residue tests, so markets usually do not check for it unless there is a problem. The same goes for dichlorvos, which requires specialized testing that is rarely conducted.
- Low Costs of Violation: Even if caught, the penalties are minimal (a fine or a short closure), and the profits made beforehand may be sufficient to make it worth it. Once the media attention fades, they can simply move to another location and continue their illegal activities, knowing they won't be caught every time.
Who Bears the Consequences of These "Heartless Practices"?
The true victims are not the unethical businesses:
- Lower-Level Workers: After the formaldehyde-cabbage incident, farmers in Hebei who grew the cabbage could not sell it and suffered heavy losses. Restaurants that were disinfected with dichlorvos, such as Green Tea, also saw their business affected, impacting their owners and employees, while the middlemen and disinfection companies had already made their profits and disappeared.
- Ordinary Consumers: We have no way of distinguishing which cabbage has been treated with formaldehyde or which restaurants used dichlorvos. We only find out when the news breaks, leaving us to wonder if we have consumed toxic food. We used to think cooking at home was safe, but now even the vegetables we buy are a concern. Even worse, the effects of these toxins can be long-term, with potential health issues emerging years later, yet no one is held accountable.
Consumer Helplessness: From Shock to Indifference, What Can We Believe?
The first time we heard about milk issues, we were shocked; the second time, about contaminated cooking oil, we were angry. Now, when we hear about cabbage and restaurant problems, many people's first reaction is indifference—because anger is of little use.
- Some choose to ignore it, thinking, "If I can't tell the difference, I might as well pretend I don't know and just eat."
- Others become more cautious, smelling the cabbage before buying it and avoiding using restaurant utensils.
- Still others have no choice but to continue eating, hoping they are just lucky and won't encounter toxic food.
Our simple desire is to have a clean meal, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.
What Do We Need?
We don't need mere post-incident punishments; we need preventive measures:
- Regular Testing: Conducting regular tests on cabbage and restaurant disinfection to deter wrongdoing.
- Higher Penalties for Violations: Those who use formaldehyde or dichlorvos should face significant fines and possible business closures, or even criminal charges.
- Transparency for Consumers: Restaurants should disclose the disinfectants used and the results of any safety tests on their food.
After all, having a clean meal is not a luxury; it's a basic human right. We hope that the next time we hear about such incidents, it will be because they have been completely eradicated, not because they have happened again.
This news highlights the real concerns of ordinary people: we need to eat every day, but we increasingly doubt the safety of the food we consume. Hopefully, these incidents will lead to real change, freeing us from the anxiety of wondering what we can trust to eat.